Way It Could've Gone
by grissomrocks
Summary: Would Sofia have just said, I'm not ready to say goodbye? Margaritaville fluff. Soft M, but M nonetheless.


**Title:** "Way It Could've Gone"

**Rating: **M

**Category:** Romance

**Author:** grissomrocks

**Pairing:** Grissom/Sofia

**Summary:** Would Sofia have simply said, "I'm not ready to say goodbye?"

**Spoilers:** "Way to Go"

**Disclaimer:** The season six finale should be conclusive proof that I don't own _CSI_. Just borrowing two of my favorite characters to help my fellow Margaritaville residents cope with our disappointment.

**A/N:** This was inspired by a comment on the csi curtis Yahoo group which stated that any other female character in that scene would've challenged Grissom to get off his butt and follow his dreams now instead of waiting until he thought he was dying. Less serious than you ladies would've come up with, but it was Grissom and Sofia in a bedroom, what else could I do? **;D**

* * *

It was quiet in the hotel room, and Gil Grissom was relaxing on the king size bed. He couldn't help but think of Brass and his near fatal shooting. The incident had persuaded Gil to contemplate his own mortality and how he'd arrive at his final destination.

"I don't know," he said out loud. "Most people want to die in their sleep, I suppose. Never know that it's happening. Like a crime scene – Surprise, you're dead!"

However, Gil wasn't like most people. "I'd prefer to know in advance that I was gonna die. I'd like to be diagnosed with cancer, actually. Have some time to prepare." His sigh held a touch of melancholy. "Go back to the rainforest one more time. Reread _Moby Dick_. Possibly enter an international chess tournament."

A woman in a silky pink robe exited the bathroom as he concluded, "At least have enough time to say goodbye to the people I love."

Sofia crouched down beside the bed. "And what, exactly, is stopping you from doing these things now?"was her amicable protest. "You're still healthy enough to enjoy the rainforest." She then laid down on the bed beside Gil. "And you still have the mental ability to play chess or read a book, even one like _Moby Dick_."

Gil lazily played with her damp hair as she added, "You might not be well enough to travel if you were undergoing treatment for cancer or some other terminal disease. I had an uncle and a grandmother who died of cancer. By the time they were diagnosed, they didn't have much time to do much of anything."

He hadn't thought about that before. Sofia was right. If he was going to accomplish any of those things, he needed to do them in the near future while he still was physically and mentally capable.

However, he had a higher priority to consider, and for the first time in nearly two decades, it wasn't the Las Vegas Crime Lab. Earlier that afternoon, Gil and Sofia became husband and wife. He now had to factor his bride into any plans he made.

The newlyweds were spending the weekend at the Las Vegas Hilton since neither one felt comfortable being out of town while Brass was still recuperating. For their official honeymoon, they were planning on taking a couple of weeks off in the fall after Brass returned to work.

"We could go to the rainforest when we go on our honeymoon," Gil suggested as his hand slipped underneath Sofia's robe, caressing her bare hip. Her eyes closed and Gil could almost swear she was purring.

The more he thought of it, the more the idea of taking Sofia to the rainforest appealed to Gil. He could just imagine the awe on his wife's face as she beheld the beauty of the diverse ecosystem. "There are so many fascinating things I could show you," he said earnestly.

A mischievous smirk played across Sofia's face. Her tone was quite suggestive as she said, "You already showed me some fascinating things earlier this afternoon."

Gil smiled at Sofia's appreciation of their earlier lovemaking. He opened his mouth to give a witty and erotic comeback, but all that came out was a low moan. The cause was Sofia lightly brushing her fingers back and forth on the front of his slacks which were becoming tighter by the minute.

Eager to feel his wife's hands on his body without anything in between, Gil reluctantly left the bed to shed the interfering pieces of fabric. As he was neatly folding his clothing and underwear on a chair, Sofia asked, "How does one enter an international chess tournament?"

Gil returned to the bed and untied Sofia's robe. "It depends on the type of tournament, I believe." He watched as Sofia left the bed briefly to fold her robe atop his clothing. "Some you can just register for, others are invitation only. I can look into it when I set up our rainforest trip."

As she laid back down, it occurred to Sofia that she may have sounded a little pushy in her encouragement. "I'm not trying to rush you, love," she said. One hand resumed her earlier petting, while the other ran through the thick hair on his broad chest. "I just don't want you to have any regrets when your time comes."

Gil sighed in disappointment as he removed Sofia's hand from his groin. He loved how her touch could make him feel almost as if he was a young man again, but he was finding it a little difficult to think coherently when most of the blood in his body was flowing away from his brain. He rolled over so that he was partially covering the nude blonde next to him.

"Even if I never did any of those things," he whispered, his voice laden with desire, "I won't ever have any regrets about my life as long as you're in it."

Sofia smiled shyly. It was rare for Gil to express himself so sentimentally, yet whenever he did, she knew he meant it with all of his heart. She closed her eyes as his lips connected vigorously with her own. For a while, the only sounds in the room were the sighs and moans of the newlyweds as they kissed and caressed each other.

When they were ready for the final stage of their lovemaking, Gil positioned himself over his wife. Instead of entering her, however, Gil gazed into Sofia's lustrous blue eyes. His own eyes reflected a mix of desire and playfulness. "Since you're so interested in my dreams being fulfilled," he said with mock seriousness, "maybe I should run home now and pick up _Moby Dick_ now. I could read it tonight."

Even though she knew he was teasing, Sofia was too aroused by this point to allow her husband to deviate from the task at hand. "Oh, no, you don't," she protested. "I am _not_ spending this weekend watching you read _Moby Dick_." She wantonly grabbed his posterior and tried to direct him toward her own hips. "I'm more interested in watching _your_ . . . "

Her coarse thought was interrupted by a deep kiss from Gil. He released his hold on her lips long enough to whisper, "Your wish is my command, Mrs. Grissom. I love you."

An intense moan came forth from Sofia as Gil filled her. "I love you, too, Gil," were her last coherent words before the newlyweds entered their own private paradise.

* * *

_Nearly two years later . . . _

Gil hung the framed certificate from the chess tournament on the wall. He wasn't a vain man, but he had to allow himself some bragging rights for placing fifteenth. The competition was tough and he almost was eliminated after the first round. However, he genuinely wouldn't have cared if he had placed at all. The fact that he had challenged himself by going up against some of the best players in the world was reward enough.

It amazed him how much his life had changed in the past couple of years. Gil had taken Sofia's advice to heart about fulfilling his dreams while he was able. That required a reassessment of his current lifestyle. It didn't happen overnight, but he did learn how to reassess his priorities. He learned to put his family first, then his personal life, and, finally, his work. There had been some hitches, but he somehow managed to maintain a satisfying balance of the three.

With the chess tournament finished, all three of the ambitions Gil had mentioned to Sofia on their wedding last night were achieved. The couple had gone to a rainforest as planned after Brass had returned to work. And just last week, Gil had returned from Spain where he had played in a chess tournament. Unfortunately, Sofia couldn't go with him, but Gil knew she was cheering him on from home.

Reading _Moby Dick_ presented a unique challenge. At Sofia's insistence, Gil had brought the book so he could read it to her through her 19 hours of labor. He had just managed to finish it before their son (or as Catherine called him, "their rainforest souvenir") was born.

The reminiscing was interrupted by Sofia. "Aaron's finally down for his nap." She wrapped her arms around her husband's neck and kissed him. "He's very stubborn, just like his daddy," she teased.

"I prefer to call it determination," Gil replied, smirking, "which I believe he also inherited from you." Suddenly, the smirk disappeared and he looked at his wife as if he was seeing her for the first time. "I never did thank you, did I?" he asked seriously.

"For?"

"Encouraging me to actually _live_ my life." Gil kissed her cheek. "I think I've accomplished more in the past couple of years than I have since I left for college." A proper kiss was exchanged between the couple. "Thank you," he whispered in her ear.

"You're welcome," Sofia replied as she ran her hands through Gil's curls. Her tone became seductive, yet playful. "However, as a former CSI, I'd like to see evidence of your gratitude."

Gil grabbed his wife's backside and nestled her against his own hips, which were just starting to respond to Sofia's suggestion. "I think that can be arranged, Mrs. Grissom." He then led her to their bedroom where he fervently expressed his gratitude, which never left him all the years they were together.

_**The End**_


End file.
